Cooling device for continuous casting apparatus

ABSTRACT

A cooling device for a continuous casting mold is arranged to provide a plurality of coolant flow paths extending in parallel relationship with the axis of the path of the casting through the mold. Valve means and connecting passageways are provided in the flow paths for adjustably regulating the flow of the coolant through the flow paths. An inlet chamber and the outlet chamber for the flow paths can be interconnected to provide a continuous cycling of the coolant through the device.

United States Patent Inventors Alfred Adamec;

nd, L d"! 19 1.91 Vie na; we Appl. No. 830,057 Filed June 3, 1969 Patented Dec. 28, 1971 Assignee Wiener Schwachstromwerke Gesellschaft m.b.I-I.

Vienna, Austria June 5, 1968 Austria Priority COOLING DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING APPARATUS 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 164/283, 164/348 Int. Cl 822d 11/12 Field of Search 164/283 Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-John S. Brown Attorney- McGlew and Toren ABSTRACT: A cooling device for a continuous casting mold is arranged to provide a plurality of coolant flow paths extending in parallel relationship with the axis of the path of the casting through the mold. Valve means and connecting passageways are provided in the flow paths for adjustably regulating the flow of the coolant through the flow paths. An inlet chamber and the outlet chamber for the flow paths can be interconnected to provide a continuous cycling of the coolant through the device.

2 A it 1' I l I 7 4 I O & I0 2 nnnnnnunnnnn 8 PATENTEU B582 8197:

SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENTORS PATENTED [E828 E311 SHEET 2 [IF 3 INVENTORS Hume mannec Oi-BR? LCDGR w ymwl/nw ATTORNEY PATENTED M628 zen SHEET 3 BF 3 INVENTORS m-FREp mm M e L. Rot-FIN 1.: pm

. ATTORNEY;

COOLING DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING APPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a device for cooling the mold in an apparatus for continuously casting a molten metal or a molten alloy and, more particularly, it is directed to a device incorporated into the mold which provides a plurality of flow paths for adjustably controlling the flow of coolant through the mold.

In known continuous casting apparatus various cooling devices have been employed and generally they have utilized separate, coolant flow paths which in most instances are open, although closed flow paths have been known. Such cooling devices which afforded a differential cooling of the continuous casting have involved a considerable expenditure for the structural arrangement.

Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention, to provide a simple, versatile cooling device for use in combination with a continuous casting mold which device is reliable in use and can be operated with a simple coolant-supplying and coolant-regulating means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cooling device in combination with a continuous casting mold in which the flow of coolant can be adjusted easily to varying cooling requirements within the mold.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, a cooling device is incorporated into an apparatus for continuously casting a molten metal or a molten alloy. The molten material is poured into one end of a continuous casting mold and is caused to solidify by means of the cooling device as it proceeds through the mold. The cooling device is incorporated into the mold and forms a plurality of coolant streams or flow paths which extend in parallel relationship with the axis'of the path of travel of the casting through the mold. A common inlet chamber and a common outletchamber is provided for the coolant flow paths.

In cooling the casting the coolant is recirculated through a plurality of the flow paths in at least one of which is provided a valve for adjusting the rate of flow of the coolant and thereby regulating the cooling action on the casting. Accordingly, the present invention provides a coolant supply arrangement which is simple in design, and can employ a single circulating pump for cycling the coolant through the cooling device. In the event of a failure of the circulating pump, a changeover to a single spare pump is sufiicient to correct the problem and an uncomplicated supervision of the circulation of the coolant is possible. Moreover, with regard to the cooling device, another advantage gained by the present invention is the ability to compare the flow rates of the coolant entering and leaving the flow paths which afford a check on its function which is not otherwise possible due to the operating temperatures involved.

In the apparatus provided by the present invention, the coolant, such as cooling water, can be circulated through a treatment plant, for preventing the formation of boiler scale, and the treatment-plant can be connected in a very simple manner into the common supply conduit for supplying treated coolant to the cooling device.

Where continuous castings of different cross sections are involved or where the castings are made of different materials, the cooling, device in combination with the mold affords a suitable adjustment of the cooling capacity to accommodate the various conditions involved. By the proper arrangement of the cooling device the, capacity of the coolant can be varied along longitudinally extending zones cooling the surface of the continuous casting so that the cross section of the casting, which differs in its distribution with respect to the edge of the cross section, can be cooledas uniformly as possible.

In accordance with the present invention, where castings have irregular cross sections or the surface portions of castings have different cooling requirements, the cooling device can be arranged to provide zones relative to the casting which have a higher cooling capacity and are cooled by relatively cold inflowing coolant and other zones which have a lower cooling capacity and are contacted by the coolant after it has been preheated to a certain degree.

Another feature of the invention is the thermal separation of the coolant flow paths through the device, so that local concentration of the cooling capacity can be ensured in specific locations with a minimum of heat loss and also minimizing the expenditure for the structural arrangement of the cooling device.

In another arrangement of the invention, the coolant flow paths can be interconnected by passageways or the like for passing the coolant from one flow path to another. Moreover, valve members positioned along the lengths of the flow paths can assist in directing the coolant through the interconnecting passages. By adjusting the valve members in accordance with the cooling requirements for the casting the flow of the coolant can be regulated through the various flow paths. For instance, if a horizontal mold for continuous casting is used, and it is necessary to dissipate varying quantities of heat from different parts of the mold, a uniform solidification throughout the cross section of the casting can be obtained by adjusting the valves in adjacent flow paths for varying the cooling capacity of the device. The interconnecting passages disposed between adjoining flow paths and the valves in the individual flow paths can be operated in accordance with a program to achieve the desired cooling capacity. In a preferred arrangement the interconnecting passages are disposed in a staggered arrangement in the direction of the flow. Moreover, the valves employed may be of various types, such as lift valves or hinged throttle valves.

The selection of the valves used in the cooling device for controlling the flow of the coolant can be chosen based on the coolant fluid used and the design of the cooling device. By proper selection and regulation of the valves, an automatic adjustment of the cooling capacity of the mold can be achieved under optimum thermal conditions. The valves can be remotely adjusted in accordance with a predetermined program using individual actuators, if such an arrangement is desired.

In a continuous casting apparatus employing the present invention, a single cooling device can be used in combination with a different mold members for cooling castings of various sizes. Since the cooling device is provided with valves in some or all of its flow paths, the rate of coolant through the device can be regulated in accordance with the different sizes of molds used.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. I is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view of a cooling device for a continuous casting mold in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating an alternate embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is still another view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 disclosing yet another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. I, a housing 1 for a cooling device A to be used in combination with a continuous casting mold is divided by wall members 2a into a plurality of coolant flow paths or conduits 2. At the left-hand side of FIG. 1, an arrow indicates the direction of travel of the continuous casting through the mold.

Within each of the flow paths 2 arrows indicate the direction of flow of the coolant which is arranged in counterflow relationship with the travel of the casting. As can be noted the flow paths 2 are arranged in parallel relationship with the axes of the path of the casting through the mold. Each of the conduits 2 serves to guide coolant over a specific portion of the mold for cooling the continuous casting. The material in the partitions 2a affords a thermal separation of the coolant within each of the paths so that the cooling effect on the casting can be carefully regulated.

At the right-hand end of the cooling device A the housing forms a common inlet chamber 20 communicating with each of the flow paths 2a. Mounted in the housing 1 and extending through the inlet chamber 20 are a number of valves 4 provided with threaded valve stems 5 and a square head 6 is located on the end of each of the valve stems exteriorly of the housing. Due to their threaded engagement in the housing the valve stems can be adjustedto regulate the flow of coolant from the inlet chamber 20 through the opening formed by a valve seat ,4a into the individual flow paths 2a. By using a wrench or similar tool on the square head 6 of the valve stem 5, the valve 4 can be adjusted in position to regulate the flow into the flow paths or to completely close off the flow if it is desired to do so.

At the opposite end of the cooling device from the inlet chamber 20, the flow paths 2a discharge into a common outlet chamber 22. A coolant inlet member 8 supplies the coolant into the inlet chamber 20 and a coolant outlet member 9 receives the coolant from the outlet chamber 22 after its passage through the flow paths. A plurality of inspection ports 10 are provided in the cooling device for visually inspecting the flow of coolant. The inspection ports 10 are located at the inlets to each of the flow paths, at the outlets from each of the flow paths, and in both the inlet member 8 and the outlet member 9 for supervising the fiow of coolant through the individual flow paths and through the common inlet and outlet members.

Interconnecting the inlet member 8 and the outlet member 9 is a conduit 11 containing a circulating pump 12 and providing a continuous circuit for the flow of the coolant through the cooling device A.

In the cooling device in FIG. 1, the coolant enters the flow paths 2a at the outlet end of the mold, that is the end at which the casting has been solidified. As the coolant flows through the individual fiow paths, certain of the flow paths can be shut off or regulated by the valves 4a as desired, the coolant is heated as it flows in heat transfer relationship with the casting passing through the mold. In the diagrammatic arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the coolant flows in a continuous circuit, however, it can be appreciated that a heat exchanger and coolant treatment means can be provided in conduit 11 for extracting the heat removed from the casting and for properly treating the coolant to avoid any problems of deposition within the fiow paths.

In FIG. 2, another cooling device B is illustrated in which similar parts to those shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals. A housing I forms the casing of the cooling device B and is divided by partition means 2a into a plurality of flow paths 2, and, as in FIG. 1, the casting travels from the left to the right as shown by the arrows while the coolant flows through the flow paths in counter flow relationship to the passage of the casting as indicated by the arrows within the flow paths. Within the housing 1 a common inlet chamber 20 is provided at one end of the flow paths and a common outlet flow chamber 22 is provided at the other end. An inlet member 8 supplies the coolant to the inlet chamber 20 and an outlet member 9 removes the coolant from the outlet chamber after its passage through the fiow paths.

While in FIG. 1, the valves 4 are provided at the inlet openings to the flow paths, in FIG. 2, only the outside flow paths, that is the top and bottom flow paths as viewed in FIG. 2, have the valves 4 at the inlet ends of the flow paths. The other flow paths have the valves located at spaced locations from the inlet and outlet ends of the flow paths with longitudinally extending valve stems proceeding from each valve to a point exteriorly of the inlet end of the housing I. Additionally, interconnecting passages 3 are provided between adjacent flow paths 2 so that the coolant blocked from flow through one of the flow paths may pass into the other flow paths for continuing its passage through the coolingdevice B. In the central flow path the valve 4 is located approximately midway between the inlet and outlet ends of the flow path while in the next two outermost flow paths the valves are located closer to the outlet ends of the fiow paths. As mentioned above, the valves in the outermost flow paths are located at the inlet ends of the flow paths. In each of the partition members 2a the connecting passages 3 are located upstream from the valves located within the inner flow paths. Since the valve in the outer flow paths are located at the inlet ends, of course, the connecting passages are located downstream of these valves.

In cooling device 8' flow through the two outside fiow paths can be shut 011' by means of the valves, however, the coolant will pass from the inlet ends through the inner flow paths for a certain distance even though the valves are closed. If the valves within the inner passage flow paths are closed the coolant will pass through the connecting passages into the adjacent flow paths. If all of the inner flow paths are closed by the valves 4, the coolant can continue through the connecting passages into the two outer flow paths for passage to the outlet chamber 22 and thence into the outlet member 9. In this arrangement by varying the positions of the valves a number of different flow paths for the coolant through the flow paths of the cooling device can be achieved in accordance with the requirements for cooling the casting passing through the mold.

In FIG. 3, another cooling device C is shown having an arrangement somewhat different from the two previous cooling devices. In this arrangement, the direction of the path of the casting is from right to left as indicated by the arrows while the flow of the coolant enters the inlet chamber 20 at the downstream of the housing 1 relative to the path of the casting and then is divided into a pair of flow paths 2 by a divider membcr'Zb. Each of the flow paths has an upstream portion 2c and a downstream portion 2d separated by a common partition member 2e. At the end of each of the downstream sections 2d, the coolant enters a common outlet chamber 22 and then flows through the outlet member 9 as indicated by the arrow. Midway along the length of the partition member 2e an interconnecting passage 3 connects the upstream section 2c with the downstream section 2d of the flow path 2. Additionally, at the end of the partition member 22 a space is provided between it and the adjacent housing 1 forming a continuation of the flow path 2 and interconnecting the outlet end of the upstream section 2c with the inlet end of the downstream section 2d. Within the interconnecting passage 3 and downstream of the interconnecting passage within the upstream section 2c of the flow paths 2, hinged throttle valves 7 are provided in cooperating relationship with valve seats 70 for regulating the flow through the flow paths 2.

As is evident from FIG. 3, the coolant first enters the centrally arranged upstream sections 20 of the flow paths and continues to the opposite end of the housing where it makes a turn and returns through the downstream sections 2d to the common outlet chamber 22 located at the same end of the device C as the inlet chamber 20. To regulate the flow of coolant in accordance with the cooling requirements of the casting the hinged valves 7 within the upstream section 2c and the interconnecting passage 3 can be positioned as required.

In accordance with the present invention by combining a housing partition or dividing walls and different arrangements of valves and interconnecting passages multiplicity of different cooling arrangements can be achieved for cooling a continuous casting as it passes through a mold.

We claim:

1. A cooling device arranged for use in cooperating relationship with a continuous casting mold which receives a supply of molten metal at one, end and discharges a casting continuously from its opposite end, comprising wall means forming a plurality of rectilinear coolant flow paths extending in substantially parallel relationships with one another and with the axis of the path of the casting through the mold, said flow paths each having an inlet end located adjacent to the casting outlet end of the mold and an outlet end located adjacent to the molten metal inlet end of the mold, said wall means also forming an inlet chamber common to the inlet ends of said flow paths and an outlet chamber common to the outlet ends of said flow paths, and means for regulating the flow of coolant associated with each of said flow paths for controlling the cooling of the continuous casting mold by said cooling device.

2. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a conduit interconnects said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber for forming a continuous flow circuit for the cooling device.

3. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 2, wherein a circulating pump disposed in said conduit for continuously recirculating the coolant through the cooling device.

4. A cooling device, as set forth in claim I, wherein said means for regulating the flow of coolant comprises an adjustable valve member positioned at the inlet to each of said flow paths for regulating the coolant flow therethrough.

5. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein visual inspection ports being provided in said wall means to said coolant flow path for visually inspecting the flow of coolant therethrough.

6. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said visual inspection ports being located at the inlets to and outlets from said flow paths and in said interconnecting conduit adjacent said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber.

7. A cooling device, as set forth in claim I, wherein said wall means are formed of a material for thermally separating said flow paths. 

1. A cooling device arranged for use in cooperating relationship with a continuous casting mold which receives a supply of molten metal at one end and discharges a casting continuously from its opposite end, comprising wall means forming a plurality of rectilinear coolant flow paths extending in substantially parallel relationships with one another and with the axis of the path of the casting through the mold, said flow paths each having an inlet end located adjacent to the casting outlet end of the mold and an outlet end located adjacent to the molten metal inlet end of the mold, said wall means also forming an inlet chamber common to the inlet ends of said flow paths and an outlet chamber common to the outlet ends of said flow paths, and means for regulating the flow of coolant associated with each of said flow paths for controlling the cooling of the continuous casting mold by said cooling device.
 2. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a conduit interconnects said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber for forming a continuous flow circuit for the cooling device.
 3. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 2, wherein a circulating pump disposed in said conduit for continuously recirculating the coolant through the cooling device.
 4. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for regulating the flow of coolant comprises an adjustable valve member positioned at the inlet to each of said flow paths for regulating the coolant flow therethrough.
 5. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein visual inspection ports being provided in said wall means to said coolant flow path for visually inspecting the flow of coolant therethrough.
 6. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said visual inspection ports being located at the inlets to and outlets from said flow paths and in said interconnecting conduit adjacent said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber.
 7. A cooling device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wall means are formed of a material for thermally separating said flow paths. 